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Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar is not the coffee shop you want to hit when you’re in a hurry. Not when you only have four and a half minutes to spare before your bus passes you by. I’m a perpetually late person. I leave late, I walk slow and then I panic. I don’t go to Filter on my way to work. I don’t go when I don’t feel like smiling or chatting or trying something new. It’s not that kind of place.

First of all, the pour overs are worth waiting for; and second, the baristas are pleasant, knowledgeable and amendable to conversation.

Located in D.C.’s Foggy Bottom, the café lacks frills. And Wi-Fi. In fact, laptops, devices and screens are highly discouraged. Filter is a place for face-to-face interaction. It’s a spot for talking, staring, reading, thinking.

Filter’s selection of single origin coffees come from local roaster Ceremony Coffee Roasters, which is based in Annapolis, MD. Ceremony’s offerings are complex and flavorful. One blend boasts notes of cantaloupe, honeycomb and raisin bread. Another roast compares to the experience of eating a Snickers bar. Hints of lime, apricot, lemon meringue pie, zests and peels, walnuts and almonds, all make their way into Ceremony’s elegant blends.

Since I prefer to drink my coffee unadulterated, I appreciate these exquisite flavors. I enjoy the partnership between Filter and Ceremony because I know that while the quality of the coffee will be predictable, its taste will not.

That’s why I never rush. I read the tasting notes listed on the menu. I pick the conversation up where we left off. I laugh at some anecdote another customer is sharing. And, I’m reminded to do something important: slow down and smell the coffee.

Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar: http://www.filtercoffeehouse.com
Ceremony Coffee Roasters: http://ceremonycoffee.com

Join me! I am teaching three workshops this fall at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD.

Twenty Minutes a Day  

You’re busy. You want to write. Create a daily writing practice by learning how to make the most of writing 20 minutes a day. Learn how to generate new writing, tackle revisions and even submit your work for publication, using the time you have.

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Location: Bethesda
Link: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353&nccsm=21&__nccspID=4685

One-Day Revision Retreat: Nonfiction

It’s time to finish that article or essay you’ve been writing forever. You completed the first draft. Now it’s time to cut the fat, rearrange the structure, check your facts and see what’s missing. The goal is to produce a strong second draft during class.

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015
Time: 9:00 AM-2:30 PM
Location: Bethesda
Link: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353&nccsm=21&nccspID=4747

Write & Publish: Arts Journalism

Learn how to make your own opportunities, find your niche and sell your stories. You will be expected to launch or maintain an arts blog. You also will have weekly assignments that include 400- to 500-word blog posts about local exhibitions, live music and more, as well as a final project.

Dates: Thursdays, October 8, 2015 – November 12, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Location: Bethesda
Link: https://www.writer.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=353&nccsm=21&__nccspID=4657

I am so honored to be facilitating literary events in Iceland in September. My gracious hosts will be the Reykjavík UNESCO City of Literature program. I am going to present a writing workshop focused on poets of the Harlem Renaissance and contemporary Native American poetry in a fun class called the Literary Mixtape. My goal is to present poems for discussion and ask participants to create their own responses to the work. Then, during the Reykjavík International Literary Festival I am going to host one of my signature Write.Drink.Read. literary happy hours with writing prompts. I can’t wait.

I am so excited to go back to Iceland, to connect with lovely people I met during the first annual Iceland Writers Retreat and to make new friends. This is a dream come true.

The Moon & Antarctica and Strangers to Ourselves

I just bought Modest Mouse’s 2015 album, Strangers to Ourselves (Epic), which is the band’s sixth record. A couple of months ago, I also snapped up a 10^th anniversary reissue of theirMoon & Antarctica (that reissue being now five years old).  The tough thing for Strangers to Ourselves is being compared to the 2000 classic, which still hits me.

Read the full reviews at AudioFemme here.

Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Screwtop Wine Bar at 1025 North Fillmore Street, Arlington, VA

Writing, wine and adventure. Join us for a celebration of the finer points in life in this fun Spanish wine and cheese tasting class and creative writing workshop.

We will focus on creating personal writing that explores the themes of travel, adventure and the living life to the fullest. We discuss the mechanics of engaging personal writing, style, narrative voice and how to engage all five senses in your story.

We will also discuss tips for getting your writing published. Whether you want to submit your work for publication or launch your own personal blog, you will learn tips for getting your words out into the world.

Please bring laptop or writing implements to participate in the class.

*Includes tasting of three Spanish wines, cheese, coffee or tea and creative writing instruction. Taxes and gratuity included in the price. (Additional food not included in price. This event is only wine and cheese tasting). This is a privately hosted event. All are welcome with ticket.

Register here.